Describe
This cabinet is made from cardboard and is versatile enough to be used in any room of the house. It can store a variety of items depending on where it’s placed.
Materials List
- Cardboard
2. 2mm Foam Sheet
3. Reflective Paper Mirror
4. Craft Knife
5. School Glue
6. paper strips
7. Scissors
8. Acrylic paints
9. Paint brushes
10. Glue Gun
11. E6000
12. Scissors
13. Old Jeans or denim or a thick cloth strips
Video Tutorial
This video tutorial walks you through the written instructions in real time. I recommend using both the video and the written tutorial together for better clarity.
Written Step-By-Step Instructions
- Make the base of the Cabinet:
I started with two cardboard rectangles of the same size (14.625″ × 13″) and four cardboard strips, each 3.5″ wide. Using a glue gun, I attached the strips along the edges of one rectangle, leaving a ½-inch margin from the edges. This formed the sides of the box. I used a ruler to ensure the strips were glued at perfect 90-degree angles.
To strengthen the base, I placed small cardboard rectangles, no taller than 3.5″, inside the box. Then I positioned the second rectangle on top, completing the box.
3. I covered the rough edges with brown paper strips, securing them with school glue for a neat, polished look.
4. I used five 2.5″ squares for each leg. Glued the pieces to make a cube that is open on one side and closed on rest of its 5 sides. This cude would be the leg of the cabinet. After making legs covered the rough edges with brown paper strips as well.
5. Next, I applied School Glue on the open side of the legs and glued the legs on the four corners of the base. I used school glue. You can also use glue gun to glue legs in place.
Watch steps 1-5 on the video.
Timestamp is at 0:06 to 2:02
6. Building the main body of the cabinet
Next, I began constructing the sides and back of the cabinet. I used four cardboard rectangles, each measuring 16″ × 12″, gluing them together to form thick, sturdy side walls. You can use fewer rectangles if you like, but make sure the cardboard is thick enough to keep the cabinet strong and stable.
8. Start making the door. First I measured the space between the sides which was 11.5″. The height of the sides is 16″. I made sure to leave the margin of 1/8″ all around the door between the door and the sides.
Watch steps 6-7 on the video.
Timestamp is at 2:04 to 2:59
9. Making the door for the cabinet: Part 1
There is inside and outside part of the door. So first i made inside of the door.
- After measuring the door as shown in the previous step, I cut out a rectangle out of cardboard to the measurement.
- Cut out the strips of carboard about 2″ wide and glued them along the edges of the cardboard rectangle. This is going to be the inside of the door. I stuck more than one strip to make sure, that the thickness of the door is about the same as of the sides, which is about 1″.
10. Making the door of the cabinet Part 2
I. On the outside of the door, cover the center area with reflective mirror paper. Leave about a 2-inch border all around the edges of the cardboard. This border helps create the look of a framed, mirrored door.
II. To add decorative detail, plan a carved design for the mirror so the door looks like an accent cabinet door. For this step, use a 2 mm thick foam sheet.
III. Stick a printed floral design onto the foam sheet as a guide.
IV. Using a craft (X-Acto) knife, carefully carve out the design along the printed lines.
V. Once the carving is complete, stick the carved foam sheet onto the mirror using school glue. Press gently and allow it to dry completely.
Watch making door process in steps 9-10 in real time on the video for more clarityu.
Timestamp is at 3:02 to 5:00
11. Making the shelf for the cabinet:
After finishing the door, I kept it aside and started working on the shelf inside the cabinet.
I. First, I measured the space inside the cabinet to decide where the shelf should sit. I made sure to leave enough space near the door so that it can close fully without hitting the shelf.
II. To make a strong shelf, I cut two cardboard squares of the same size and glued them together. Press them well and let the glue dry so the shelf becomes sturdy.
III. For the shelf supports, I cut four cardboard strips about 2 inches wide and close to the same length as the shelf depth. I glued two strips together to make one thick support. Repeat this to make two supports.
IV. To give a neat finish, I covered all the rough edges of the shelf and the support strips with brown paper strips.
V. Finally, I glued the support strips along the black lines I drew onto the inside walls of the cabinet, to make sure they are level. Once dry, place the shelf on top of the supports.
To watch step 11, how I made the shelf in detail watch it on video.
The timestamp is at 5:02 to 5:19
12. Putting it all together:
Next, I applied school glue on three sides of the base I made in steps 1 through 5 and glued the cabinet body (side panels and back) on the base. And let it dry completely.
To see step 12 in the real time, watch the video
The timestamp is at 5:20 to 5:39
13. I painted the whole structure including the door which I had not attached to the cabinet body yet.
14. I cutout two strips out of my old denim jeans and sewed them together using a running stitch. Then using E6000, I glued horizontal half of the the strip to the Side edge of the door as shown. Let the glue dry completely.
15. After the glue dried, I applied the glue to the sidewall of the cabinet, close to the edge of the side wall of the cabinet. Stuck the remaining half of the cloth strip to the side wall of the cabinet as shown. Made sure the door closes and opens completely and comfortably.
For more clarity, watch step 14-15 on video
Timestamp is at 5:56 to 6:39
16. Making a knob for the cabinet door:
Crumpled the aluminum foil into a tight ball and painted it with metallic bronze acrylic paint. Made a hole into flat bottom and inserted a wooden dowel in the hole.Then I attached the knob to the door of the caninet as shown.
You can watch step 16 in detail on video
The timestamp is at 6:41 to 7:01
17. Now I placed the top of the cabinet on it. Now the cabinet is done.
18. Once the cabinet is ready, you can use it in any room of the house. The use may vary depending on what you choose to store inside. To see how it looks in real time, watch the video. You will be impressed for sure!
Time stamp is at 7:04 to 7:17
Tips And tricks
Mirror Substitution:
If you don’t have a paper mirror, just use cardboard. Simply stick your carved cardboard piece onto a plain cardboard backing. It works just as well.
Door Measurement:
I initially subtracted only 1/8″ from the door’s width instead of 1/4″, so I had to trim an extra 1/8″ later, right before attaching the cloth hinge. This happened because I didn’t leave enough space to insert the hinge between the door and the cabinet. If you’re planning to use metallic hinges, I recommend leaving a larger margin on the side where the door will be attached to accommodate them comfortably.
Foam sheet Alternative:
You can replace the foam sheet with regular cardboard. If the raw edges don’t bother you visually after cutting the design, there’s no need to cover them with paper strips.
Door Clearance:
Leave a 1/4″ gap between the door and the shelf when the door is closed. You can check this alignment before placing the cabinet top.
Backstory
While browsing carved wooden cabinets online, I stumbled upon a design that sparked an idea. Instead of wood, I decided to use cardboard and to save time on finishing rough edges, I used a clean-cutting foam sheet I had picked up from Jo-Ann’s clearance sale. Paired with a simple structure and a bit of reflective mirror paper from past projects, this elegant mirrored cabinet came to life, proving that style doesn’t have to come with a high price tag.
Final Word
I hope you enjoyed this DIY project! If you liked this post, please subscribe to my blog to get monthly newsletter for more creative ideas.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, feel free to leave a comment below! And don’t forget to check out my other cardboard furniture DIYs and more creative projects for extra inspiration. The links are below.
